Screenwriters Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof are currently at work on the third draft of the script. Benicio Del Toro is reportedly set to star in the highly anticipated film in the role of its villain. Actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Zoe Saldana are also set to reprise their roles in the movie.

Trek Movie reports that the studio is “very enthusiastic” about the project and very supportive of producer/director J.J. Abrams and his core team.”

Hawaii may serve as one of the locations for the shoot for the film’s fictional “jungle planet”. Other locations may include a museum in Los Angeles and the stages of the Paramount lot.

The film is set to open in theaters in late 2012 or summer 2013.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

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Pine explained, “I don’t know. I look forward to his development and bringing to light all his idiosyncrasies and thinking up new ways to surprise people with this character. I just trust Damon Lindelof and Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman and J.J. Abrams and everybody behind it to create another good story, because they’ve already done it.”

He added, “I appreciate Kirk’s humor and I think that’s a legacy from Shatner’s Kirk, from the original and only Kirk, which I would love to bring into the future incarnation.” Star Trek 2 is expected to be released on August 16, 2012 but this could yet change.

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While many assumed he would make the follow-up to his 2009 hit, he would never give a date for the project, or actually say for sure that he would be the one directing. In July, reports elsewhere surfaced that Abrams was “moving towards a commitment” to direct the sequel (which, of course, is Internet for “hasn’t committed yet”) but his delay had pushed a nervous Paramount Pictures to give Trek 2′s late June 2012 release date to a G.I. Joe sequel.

Part of the hold-up has been that Alex Kurtzman, who wrote Abrams’ first Trek with Roberto “Bob” Orci, has been busy editing and posting Welcome to People, his directing debut at DreamWorks Pictures. We’re told that now that Kurtzman is finished with those duties, he is back in his office and the team is ready to work. Plug in the Starbucks I.V., lads! These new life-forms and new civilizations aren’t going to seek out themselves!

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“I’m not so sure, but I know that we’re trying,” Abrams told CNN on Sunday at the press junket for “Super 8.” “We’re working on the script and story and doing everything we can to make it well. I would just so much rather make a movie that’s worth people’s time than make a movie that’s on time.”

The sequel is currently set for a June 29, 2012 release. Abrams has plenty on his plate, including the upcoming TV shows “Person of Interest” and “Alcatraz,” and he reiterated that he wants the next “Star Trek” to be a worthy sequel.

“I’m not inclined to push it. I’m inclined to make a movie that’s good and if it works out in that timetable then we’ll all be thrilled,” he said. “If it doesn’t, when the movie comes out it’ll be worth the wait.”

One can only assume that there will be no appearances by Captain Kirk’s arch-enemy Khan in this “Star Trek 2.”

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Chris Pine, all dreamy intensity and blue, blue eyes, certainly sounds the part while discussing the links between “Star Trek,” in which he starred last year, and “Unstoppable,” his new film with Denzel Washington and Rosario Dawson. ”

“The stories couldn’t be any more different and any more alike,” he says at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. “The reluctant hero is a story that’s been told for ages and ages, and the reason why we always come back to it is we see reflected in the reluctant hero the worst and best parts of us. They’re faced with that great challenge and the question is: Are they going to take it on or not? Are they going to become the best versions of themselves or not?”

The heroism in question in director Tony Scott’s fifth collaboration with Washington involves a runaway train loaded with tons of hazardous chemicals. Pine’s Will Colson is a rookie conductor on his first day, bristling under the tutelage of three-decade veteran Frank Barnes (Washington) when the pending disaster becomes clear. Frank immediately decides to pursue the runaway with their engine. Will, carrying a freight train’s worth of his own issues, is not sold on the plan.

“Kirk is a selfish little (jerk) in the beginning of ‘Star Trek,’ and he ends up leading men into battle,” Pine says. “It’s a humongous arc from one version to the next, and he’s still growing because we have more films. Will is a selfish, angry, rageful (jerk) and he has to shed that and his foil is Frank, who lets him swing his arms like a tantrum to get it out and become the best version of himself. Those are very similar journeys.”

The Los Angeles native is increasingly becoming known for action roles – he’s signed to play Jack Ryan in that series’ reboot. His next project is the action-comedy “This Means War” with Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy.

“Unstoppable” co-star Dawson says people called Pine “Kirk” on the set of their movie. But he asserts with conviction that he was a serious student while pursuing his English degree at UC Berkeley. Perhaps too serious.

“I studied a lot. If I could do college over again, I would probably try to have more fun,” he says, quick to dispel the myth that he walked on to the Cal baseball team. “I played sports all my life, and in a pipe dream, I thought, ‘Yeah, it would be cool to play sports at Berkeley.’ I was a rail-thin, gangly kid; there was no way I was going to be playing sports there.”

He comes from a family of actors, among them his father Robert Pine (a very familiar face with more than 180 credits, including a run on “CHiPs”), and served as a production assistant on Roger Corman’s “Black Scorpion” in his teens.

“I gripped and I gaffed, I was all over the place,” he says. “I locked up sets when we were shooting on location, prevented people from walking into the set. I was awful at that because I was a really nice guy, saying, ‘Please don’t walk …’ People steamrolled right ahead and did whatever they wanted.”

It seems funny for Pine to describe himself as a gangly kid and really nice guy who got blown by, because if people were trying to walk on a set past Will or Captain Kirk …

“Correct. That’s the magic of filmmaking and the greatest part of being an actor and probably why I chose it: You get to be people that you’re not. I’m definitely more interested in those hard-headed, everyday courageous guys – in many ways I’m a more than privileged kid who’s not all that working class. I’ve been very blessed in my life,” he admits.

Will is very much working class, as is the world of the railroads. But it wasn’t the jargon or protocols that stayed with Pine among the things he learned about the job.

“The one thing that every person who worked in a train yard said is, they’ve pretty much all had an experience with death or near-death,” he says. “These are thousands of tons of metal hurtling down the track. Conductors and engineers see people killing themselves all the time: Putting themselves across the tracks, bums who’ve fallen asleep or people who screw up and try to get across the train crossing … it happens a lot. So much so that they have counselors help them get through it.

“It was a shock that seemingly such an innocuous job – you’re transporting grain or coal or cars – that you’d have to deal with that whole other thing that’s traumatic.”

The kid who did not walk on at Cal was blown away to be picked for this team, though, as Washington has said he recommended Pine for the part.

“I heard about that recently. Denzel’s a very gracious guy, keeps things close to his vest and there’s a reason he didn’t tell me, I guess. But it’s so flattering, I can’t even begin to describe it to you. It’s a huge honor,” says Pine, who quickly names as his favorite scene the verbal confrontation between Will and Frank after the rookie makes a major mistake.

“He calls me on my s- and I get really angry about it. I go off on him and he laughs me off, which pisses me off more. I’m all coiled. I can’t land a shot because I have no traction in the scene: I screwed up, period. That was a lot of fun, because that’s sparring with one of the masters, with Bruce Lee or whatever.” {sbox}

Unstoppable (PG-13) opens Friday at Bay Area theaters.

To see a trailer for “Unstoppable,” go to www.unstoppablemovie.com.
Chris Pine
Born: Aug. 26, 1980, Los Angeles

Why we care: He’s Captain Kirk. That “Star Trek” reboot by J.J. Abrams was so great that expectations for the sequel in 2012 are somewhere beyond the Delta Quadrant. He’s going to be the next Jack Ryan, following Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck into the Tom Clancy franchise.

Resume builders: Apart from blockbusters and the forthcoming “This Means War,” Pine has appeared in “Bottle Shock,” “Smokin’ Aces,” “Just My Luck” and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.” He got his start on a 2003 episode of “E.R.”

Quotable: On picking up leads in storied franchises: “I don’t know why it’s happened this way, but it just seems to be my journey. … It’s given me great opportunities and the ability to travel and explore and learn. Life is good.”

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Playing an Irish terrorist on a quest to save his cat, Chris told “Extra” that this play is like “being a rock star. It’s two hours, it’s quick, it’s fast.”

Pine is best known for his role as Kirk in “Star Trek,” but the eligible bachelor doesn’t plan on jumping into another sci-fi superhero role anytime soon.

“I don’t think I’d look good in a spandex outfit, to be quite honest with you, so, um, I think Superman is definitely out,” he told “Extra’s” Lauren Sanchez.

Chris didn’t always have the desire to be an actor, and was more drawn to sports while growing up. “I played basketball and baseball. I was no good by any stretch.”

It wasn’t until college that Pine used theater as a way to make friends. “It satisfied everything I enjoyed about using your mind and being in front of people and the charge of that… it was just a good fit for me. Ironically enough, I had been around it all my life.”

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In fact, “Star Trek’s” gung-ho starship commander would probably admire Pine’s “I’ll do it my way” approach to his career.

Pine, 29, is a serious theater actor, and unlike most stage-trained performers who find sudden Hollywood fame, he hasn’t abandoned live performance.

Playing Kirk in last year’s blockbuster movie “Star Trek” has put the handsome Los Angeles native on a career fast track, but he’s still a regular on L.A. stages, too. In 2007 he appeared in Neil LaBute’s “Fat Pig” at the Geffen Playhouse; last year he starred opposite Chris Noth in the tense political drama “Farragut North,” also at the Geffen.

Now Pine will tackle one of British theater’s hottest and most challenging playwrights, Martin McDonagh, in the blood-soaked, pitch-dark 2001 comedy, “The Lieutenant of Inishmore.” It opens July 11 at the Mark Taper Forum.

We talked to Pine recently about “Inishmore,” his love of theater, and his career.

The Orange County Register: Did you see this play before landing the role of Padraic, its dark-hearted leading man?

Christopher Pine: I did not. I was more familiar with McDonagh from his film work, the short he won the Oscar for and “In Bruges,” which I was a huge fan of. From there I discovered his theater work. In college I had done a scene from “The Cripple of Inishmaan.” And I had heard from a lot of my friends in New York about how much they’d enjoyed (“Inishmore”).

Register: How is the violence handled? Is it supposed to be funny and queasy at the same time?

Pine: This show won’t appeal to people who are sensitive to seeing graphic violence. But I would say that there is a reason for all of it. If there’s a theme, it is the inanity of violence. The violence in this case is grossly overdone for a reason. It begets nothing but chaos, death, destruction and depravity. The fact of the matter is that all of the violence in this household is the product of Padraic’s love for his cat. If that doesn’t make you giggle, then I suppose you shouldn’t see this show.

Register: Padraic reminds me of the characters in McDonagh’s film, “In Bruges.” They’re violent thugs, but they have their strict rules of engagement.

Pine: (Padraic) has a definite moral code, but I don’t think there is much logic to it. He believes in the purity of the cause, which is the unification of Ireland as an independent republic. In the beginning he’s torturing a guy because he’s been dealing drugs to kids. If they were Protestants, he’d have no problem with it. But Catholic children should have nothing on their minds except waging violence on the Unionists and Protestants. It’s ridiculous, but he does have a certain moral code, and his adherence to it gives him this crazy extremism

Register: Does Padraic have any saving graces as a character?

Pine: I think in Padraic’s mind there is nothing wrong with what he does. The great thing about this piece is there’s a clear objective from the actor’s point of view. He wants to see Ireland free of the jackbooted villains of England’s monarchy by any means necessary. There’s a certain amount of that enjoyment to the torture in that first scene, but the fact is Padraic believes it has to be done. Once you buy into that, it’s easy to judge him objectively.

Register: Does McDonagh give us any hints about why Padraic became so violent?

Pine: There’s no mention of a mother. He clearly was humiliated and powerless from a young age. His father is as sadistic as him. He’s a real hard, harsh, judgmental, mean old man, and highly super-manipulative. Early on there’s a mention of (Padraic) wearing girly scarves and being made fun of by his cousin. He then lashes out as his cousin, beats him and steals his wheelchair. The scarf could have been from his mom.

Register: How do you compare McDonagh to other playwrights? What are his strengths?

Pine: He’s very cynical, like (Joe) Orton. There’s spectacle and violence, for sure. It’s almost balletic at times, ridiculous in its extremity. I guess if you see it without thinking about it you can watch it and leave and have a really good time. Once you start looking at it, it reveals itself to be really deep; it says a lot about how we view violence. There’s a comment there, too, about the ballet of violence, how beautiful it is and how fun to watch. We’re all waiting for the next gunshot. Violence is a computer game.

Register: How did your life change after “Star Trek”?

Pine: I’ve been really blessed from “Star Trek” to get more opportunities than I had previously in my career. And I just wait for the good material. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve gotten to play on the really big stage with Denzel (Washington) and Tony Scott (Pine will star in the upcoming Scott film “Unstoppable” with Washington). Counter that with these theater productions, which are a whole different thing. I just try to follow what’s good and what interests me and challenges me and makes me think and engages a part of me. It’s so rare to get all of your muscles firing at once. That’s what I look for in any role.

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Gallery Link:
- Photo Sessions > Session #028

The 40-year-old British actor plays Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in the sci-fi adventure alongside Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana. The film is directed by JJ Abramas and roughly scheduled for release in 2012.

Simon revealed: “We all talk to each other, I speak to JJ quite a lot and he’s very tight lipped – he doesn’t even say waht’s going to happen in Lost, he really can keep a secret that guy!”

He added: “I keep saying when are we doing it, when are we doing it and he says ‘Soon, soon.’ So I reckon towards the end of the year.

“It might be a similar time to when we did the last one, so over Christmas kind of thing.”

Asked what he was hoping might happen to Scotty in the new movie, Simon joked he would like him to have sex with an attractive green alien.

Last summer’s reboot reignited interest in the Star Trek franchise in a major way, so hopefully the sequel can live up to the immense hype it will surely gather by June 2012.

source: collider.com

“Star Trek” easily topped both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart and Home Media Magazine’s rental chart for the week ended November 22. The film sold an estimated 5.7 million discs its first week out, according to Home Media Magazine market research — a figure that includes all of North America as well as the rental market.

First-week Blu-ray Disc sales are pegged at 1.1 million.

Animated hit “Up,” the No. 1 seller the previous week, slipped to No. 2. “My Sister’s Keeper,” the Cameron Diaz-starring family drama that earned $49.2 million at the box office, debuted at No. 3, while “Bruno,” with $60 million in domestic theatrical earnings, bowed at No. 4.

Excitement about the theatrical opening of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” sent the original “Twilight,” released to the home video market in March, back up to No. 5 on the sales chart.

On Home Media Magazine’s rental chart, romantic comedy “The Ugly Truth,” the previous week’s top renter, slipped to No. 2, with 40 percent as much rental action as “Star Trek.” “Bruno” debuted at No. 3, with 37 percent as much rental activity as “Star Trek,” while “Up” and “My Sister’s Keeper” finished at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively

On the Nielsen VideoScan Blu-ray Disc sales chart, “Star Trek” was the easy victor — not surprising, considering that nearly 38 percent of the title’s total first-week sales were of the Blu-ray version.

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We at MTV News couldn’t be more grateful that the U.S.S. Enterprise is once again patrolling outer space, which is why Abrams and Pine are two of the entertainers we’re most thankful for in 2009. In a recent chat with MTV News, both these guys reflected on the experience of making “Trek,” revealed some secrets about the project that we never knew and talked about the future of the franchise.

MTV: Congratulations, you represent two of the people we are most thankful for this year! This is the first twosome we’ve ever honored. Do you have any speeches prepared?

J.J. Abrams: Chris does.

Chris Pine: What? I will say I feel pretty honored because I know you’ve done Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr. and a bunch of people I really love, so thank you — this is pretty big for me.

MTV: Be honest, Chris, did you think your career had peaked after starring with Lindsay Lohan in “Just My Luck”?

Pine: Well, when I started out, I never thought I’d do romantic comedies or action films, so to have done both and to be part of a franchise that’s been around for so long, it surprised me more than anyone else.

MTV: So I am a born and bred Trekkie. I want to thank you on behalf of every “Trek” fan. You made “Star Trek” for the first time cooler than “Star Wars.” Would you agree with that?

Abrams: You’re asking a dangerous question, my friend. I don’t know how you respond to that without sounding like a douche bag. Why don’t you just put a bull’s-eye on my head? You know, making a film knowing there were so many fans out there was nerve-racking. I was behind the camera. Chris, Zach [Quinto], Zoe [Saldana], John [Cho], Simon [Pegg], Karl [Urban] — everyone in front of the camera — they were the ones literally putting themselves out there and asking for it. The fact that we were accepted and helped by [original Spock] Mr. [Leonard] Nimoy building that bridge between what was and what is now, it was incredibly gratifying to see it was well-received.

MTV: Chris, it’s an amazing year for you. Is there one moment that you can pinpoint that is the most gratifying or surreal?

Pine: Working with Leonard. I remember doing the whole ice-cave sequence. It really wasn’t anything that happened in the scene so much as sitting down next to Leonard and passing the time and talking with him about his experiences. It was a real honor to work with him.

MTV: It obviously all turned out well for you guys — we’re celebrating what you have accomplished — but if it didn’t turn out well, you would have been eviscerated. Did you both share equally in angst and worry, or were you both relatively calm over the last several years?

Abrams: Because we had an ambitious shoot, the good news was that often drowned out the din of naysayers and the suspicious fanbase and even the enthusiastic supporters. We were so busy, we were just trying to focus on that and not let the nerves of “What are they going to think?” get to us.

MTV: Chris, when if at any point did the nerves kick in for you?

Pine: After I got [the part] and then talking to J.J., the nerves kind of slowly built, because as an actor, and as someone who wants to make a living doing what he loves doing, I was happy to get the part, and that lasts for about 15 minutes, and you call everyone you know and make plans to move out of your parents’ house. And then the reality of the situation sets in. Not only is it a tremendous amount of responsibility because of all the money involved, but it’s also a franchise that’s beloved and it’s [original Kirk] William Shatner to boot. After being scared sh–less, I let it go. The fact that we could be eviscerated or succeed was actually liberating.

MTV: There was all this talk in terms of when you guys were starting to nail down casting. Everyone from Matt Damon to people we haven’t heard of were in the running. How much of that was true? Did you ever consider going with a big name like Mr. Damon?

Abrams: I did, but not for the role of James Kirk. I went to Damon for the role of Kirk’s father, and he declined in the most gracious and understandable and logical of reasons. We lucked out with Chris Hemsworth, and he did a great job. Maybe it would have been distracting to have someone as massively famous as Matt Damon in that role. … The decision was made very early on to have actors who were not necessarily the most famous but the most right for the role.

MTV: It’s worked out pretty well for you, Chris.

Pine: At least for the time being, “Star Trek” has given me the luxury of choice in terms of what I want to do and where I want to take my career. I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but certainly I’m enjoying that immensely.

MTV: Have the two of you had any talk about the next “Trek” film?

Pine: None. As it always is with J.J. and his crew, it’s secrecy all the time until you get the script. So I have no idea.

MTV: J.J., if the planets align, will that be the next thing you direct?

Abrams: I don’t know. We have no script yet. We have no specific story. We’re at the starting gate of the process. All I can tell you is that working with Chris and the whole cast was literally the most fun thing I’ve ever been able to professionally be part of, so the chance to work with them again, I can’t tell you how devastating it would be to pass that up. I couldn’t be more excited about the next adventure.

MTV: Chris, have you practiced your “Khan!!!” scream?

Pine: Yes, as I do every night before I go to bed. I practice my Shatner. I pray to Shatner.

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